Green Airports - Flying the Eco–friendly Skies

The holiday season means travel. And despite increases in fares, air travel is still the most popular option for long distance travelers. While passenger jets may not be the greenest way to get around, many of the world’s airports are investing a lot of dough into making themselves more environmentally friendly in order to trim costs and save the planet.

Zurich airport resembles more like of a mallZurich Airport — Zurich, Switzerland

The airport which is also known as Zurich Kloten Airport is using only geothermal energy to heat and cool the airport, and collected rainwater to flush all toilets, Zurich’s airport is certainly a leader in energy efficiency. What truly sets this airport apart from its peers is the large nature preserve that has been created between the runways. We hope that any birds living there have learned to stay away from the aircraft.

A great level of daylight is achieved in Chennai airportChennai International Airport — Chennai, India

Due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal and a water table that can fluctuate by as much as seven meters during monsoon season, the Chennai International Airport had to be retrofitted with an eco-friendly concrete made of a proprietary substance called PENETRON, which, despite sounding suspiciously like a sex robot, is actually a waterproof, crystalline concrete. In addition to their use of PENETRON, architects used LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards to construct other aspects of their airport. They have planted large, sustainable gardens in both the domestic and international terminals, and both the terminal roofs and parking garages are equipped to collect rainwater for irrigation.

San Francisco International Airport — San Francisco, CA, USA

The first in the U.S. to achieve LEED Gold certification, San Francisco’s Terminal 2 features a 20% reduction in ventilation energy use, a project from which they recycled 90% of the construction materials. The airport also requires all of their restaurants to feature locally grown food and to run a large composting program.

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